Stop downloading when available disk space is less than x bytes

[halfgaar]

Recently, I've been having the problem that my disk is being completely filled by µTorrent. When that happens, nothing works anymore, especially because I use it on a Linux system that does a lot more than just download.

I think a good feature would be to make µTorrent stop downloading when less than a user configurable amount of disk space is left. This way, you can also make sure there is enough space to unrar something.

[cdotrun]

Good point, I think that out of space error with pre-allocated files is just not enough to prevent this.

I think uTorrent should check for destination free space (drive/folder quota) on every add, so whichever T/G/M/K/byte vs. percentage limit is reached, start paused and pop up some kind of warning.

[Firon]

Or just make sure there's enough space...

[halfgaar]

I think it shouldn't do that just on add, but continuously. I've just added about 20 torrents of several GB's each, which my disk cannot store when they all reach 100%, but there's no harm in starting them already. If it's gonna check before hand if there is enough space or not, it won't even start some/most of them. But because I'll be moving the downloads out of the way as they come in (by burning to DVD or something), space is freed up as it goes.

In other words, by pausing all the downloads as they come in as opposed to not even starting them, the advantage is that you can have a whole bunch of downloads at 90%.

It would be most elegant if the pause is different than a manual pause; it should automatically resume when there is more space, even if that space is freed outside µTorrent.

[ismahill]

whats the problem, saving the developers the job, and buying an extra HD or setting the download folder to a flash drive?

u can also set a download limit at some of them after viewing the connection speed, alowing some to get higher bandwidth and be burned/flashed/whatever, then deleting them.

anyhow,

as being understood from you,

you won't be able to download them all at the same time&speed.

u have the scheduler tool to allow it to become faster if u will be going out or sleep.

[halfgaar]

Buying an extra HD to prevent the downloads from ending in an inconsistent state (which requires a recheck) and making every other program on the machine crash because of lack of disk space is not a fix, it is a work around.

I leave my computer unattended for days at a time, so I'd rather not do anything by hand.

Why the resistance? Making a feature request is not an insult to the developers, which you seem to be implying. Software grows by user input, because developers/designers can't always predict how the software is used.

If the developers don't want to include this, fine, but please refrain from making people who take the time to request a feature feel guilty about it.

[ismahill]

sorry man, didn't mean to take it to this direction,

indeed in the earlier post, there is a slight tone which wasn't meant to become amplified.

your request is quiet legitmate and developers do create such forum in order for users to post theire ideas,

it was not meant to make you feel guilty but rather see, that that requested feature could be circumevent by the user and tools that are there already for that.

it might be usable, but instead why won't the user make a bit of an effort to work around stuff either that option is realy nessesary by many different users and could not be circumevent otherwise.

it seems only logic, that one would buy another backup up drive for all his/hers files while emptying the main hard drive creating logical space for download as he is downloading new stuff..

today, it is very handy and quiet cheap as well,

if anyone knows he's using a great deal of storage, maybe he should.. consider buying a bigger hard drive. (not implying anything..)

the basic idea behind creating such software is minimizing it and not making it slugish with all sort of possibilities that can either be passed by other options or are legitimate for only a minor percent of the users.

if the software will become an open source, that will allow people to implement in it all sort of stuff, but for the time being, it's not so is builded for the majority at large.

it is always good to hear people and see what they have to say, and coming by at forum which permit users to share they're own issues is supporting the advancement of the "product",

that seems to sound logical at the moment..

please don't take it the wrong way..

sorry.

[halfgaar]

Sorry to have taken it the wrong way. No hard feelings

I understand your reasoning. Let me just add that the most important reason for this feature, in my opinion, is that no disk space left is a fault condition in which a computer shouldn't be left, because then nothing works (properly) anymore. Most file systems have a percentage of disk space that normal users can't fill, to prevent the super user from being unable to correct the problem. But because everything run as a non-super user has no access to that, the 0 bytes left condition leaves a whole bunch of programs in a fault state.

Because µTorrent is something that can run without anyone looking at it for a long time, such a feature would be a good idea, in my opinion.

[ismahill]

good to know of what u said, and so, it does sound logical as programs which create temp files or use extensively the swap file in a low ram machines might crash due to that state,

as a question, as one who gets so entangled with that, why won't you just replace the hard drive to a 500G one?

or either, simply add another who will function as a storage perpose only?

then, it would be very easy, simply to transfer all media files into it, games and other large files which are rarly being used.

on that behalf, why not backuping 35G to a flash drive when u know u'r about to download a bit less than that amount?

this might realy solve all of you'r problems.

other than that, just being curious, what would u do when all downloads stop at 75% and u'll have to take something out of the hard drive?

either its a mistake but..

the same..

[halfgaar]

I have 250G disks right now, in RAID1, plus a 250G external disk for daily automated backups. Should I replace them, I need to replace three. I don't really want to do that. But, maybe more importantly; I think when I can fill up 250G, I don't need more disk space, I need to clean up. Normally I have about 150G available, but because of this download action, plus another one of 40G, it filled up.

When I have 100G available and start downloading dozens of torrents of several GB's big, the first few in the queue are bound to be done in time for me to clean up, so it is not going to happen that they will all be stuck at 75%, seeing as how it only downloads a few at a time.

[ismahill]

anyway,

sorry for not responding earlier,

look,

u'll have to do something about it now,

it's either u'll add a new drive and configure Ut to fill it up,

or,

u'll erase some of u'r stuff..

250*2 (or 3) just couldn't understand u so much,

is a lot!! of info stuck in u'r hard drives,

usualy, software doesn't need so much of space (exept for OS,stuff as Nero,Wifi radar softwares,Office,Visual studio etc.) which will totally ask for probably, no more than 25 giga's..

(how much does anyone needs??),

above that, movies, used old games etc, could be left at an 500G removable HD which sound like a great backup option.

if u need more than that, it is always possible to get another one from the 2nd hand sales which comes up usualy at very low price, why not actualy??

on the main hard drive, other than the 25 giga's left for all sorts of softwares, it is always possible to add few games, prefered music&video's etc. for the price of another (very top) 150 gigabytes, which leaves u with a fair 75 giga's left for downloading all sort of stuff.

eventually,

one has to take in his calculations the fact, that storage is limited and so, eventually,

he will have to compromise some of his older toys for new ones.

thats where this all discusion comes to it's colision point =

it's either u'll try what u did and ask Ut developers to grant it with that feature u'v been looking for or otherwise, u'll do something about u'r habbits, for either minimizing them..

or buying some extra Hard Ware to u'r plugs.

the other solution is u wait for few month's to find out if u'r requested feature has been implemented and u got away with it,

which frankly,

is quite unlikely, simply because it seems that no many people are up to these crazy..habits

or maybe there are, and u'll pass it through, and the developers (which one of them has posted u few posts ago..(Firon) will suddenly aprove this unique sugestion and then we will all together fly to the moon! yeah!

bye crazy brother..

[halfgaar]

I don't really need to have explained where hard drive space goes; I'm a software engineer and systems/network adminstrator for two companies. I think I know my share.

No need to discuss where drive space can go. I made the feature request and explained why I think it makes the software more robust. It's up to the devs now to decide what to do with it.

[ismahill]

actually friend,

shame u didn't mention it erlier, it put things in a different way

apologies if anything came up inapropriate,

with all heart.

still, can't find any reason to put it up just for some peoplethose reasons,

it is hard not to be able to consider everyone,

this program is meant for everyone and creating it personaly for each one needs is impossible and u should understand that.

you have been given other proposions,

use them,

until Ut will become open sourced, not being a developer of it, finding it hard to believe it has souch an importance for being implemented.

it sounds like an easy patch but millions of people might look for million of different things,

think about that.

if there weren't any other solutions for it, maybe,

but there are,

and plenty of them.

[halfgaar]

I know all about users and their requests . Let's just let fate (the developers) decide what is to be done. Either way, I will accept it, gracefully.

[ismahill]

so shall be friend,

they probably can easily implement it as an option at the preferences\advanced tab.

but its up to them now..

let's wait and see..

[Firon]

I put the idea on the todo.

[ismahill]

it might work afterall halfgaar!!

thats awesome for you man.

[Lope]

I support this idea!!!

I'm having a similar problem now where my torrent PC is being occupied by a lot of data which has left me with very little free space.

A simple "Check every x mins if theres less than y MB free space pause downloads" option would be great!

Checking on every disk write would be excessive.

[JAQUEBAUER]

Good idea. This happens to me often enough to suggest this improvement.

Offer an option such as;

1. Allow the user to change the setpoint for disk space to stop dnloads.. For example set to 10 gb, so dnloading stops at 10gb remaining on the drive